London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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During the year, 2,580 births to Kensington mothers were registered, and of this number 2,526
or 97 per cent, were notified in accordance with the requirements of the Act. The number of
stillbirths notified was 52, and the number of births notified as having occurred in Kensington but
belonging to other districts was 94.
The following table indicates the source of notification and the kinds of births notified.
| Source of notification. | Number of births notified. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still births. | Live births. | Total births. | |||
| Number notified by midwives | 17 | 1,059 | 1,076 | ||
| ,, ,, parents | 1 | 55 | 56 | ||
| „ ,, „ medical practitioners | 9 | 826 | 335 | ||
| „ „ other persons | 10 | 485 | 495 | ||
| Births in the borough | 87 | 1,925 | 1,962 | ||
| Notified from institutions outside the borough | 15 | 549 | 564 | ||
| Totals | 52 | 2,474 | 2,526 | ||
| Year. | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 1926 | 96 |
| 1927 | 96 |
| 1928 | 94 |
| 1929 | 95 |
| 1930 | 97 |
The importance of securing due compliance with the Notification of Births Act cannot be
over-estimated, for the information obtained constitutes the starting point of the work of health
visitors.
DEATHS.
The number of deaths registered in the borough during the year was 2,401, but this does not
represent the true mortality among the population and, in order to obtain the corrected number
of deaths which does so represent the true mortality, it is necessary to add the deaths of
Kensington "residents" occurring beyond the district to the number registered as actually
occurring in the borough, and to subtract from the total thus arrived at the deaths of "nonresidents
" taking place in the institutions provided in Kensington for the reception of sick or
infirm persons.
Total deaths registered in the borough 2,401
Deaths of residents in public institutions, etc., beyond the borough 590
2,991
Deaths of non-residents in public institutions, etc., within the
borough 749
Corrected number of deaths belonging to the borough 2,242
The corrected number of deaths gives a death-rate of 12.7 per 1,000 living.